which means there are probably a lot more sneaking around. Somebody with real pull wants to see you bad. What did you do?”
“I e-mailed Martin,” she said simply.
“That son of a bitch from the CDC? Why would you do that? He’s the last person in the world you should be talking to.”
Amanda smiled. She loved Greg’s paternal tone. She knew that he would protect her, even with his dying breath, from anybody or anything that could harm her, and that included herself. “I had to give it a try. He’s the one person best positioned to help. Besides, he’s going to find out very soon and come after me anyway.”
“Then there is no point in you coming here. Just turn around and disappear.” Greg pleaded.
“I can’t,” she said.
“I’m sorry for calling you; I never meant for you to get involved.”
Amanda could hear the anguish in her father-in-law’s voice. “Greg, I already knew something was going on, you just helped to bring it into focus. Someone is spreading a virus, and that same someone is looking for me. I would rather meet him on my own terms.”
“Why haven’t you told me about this before?” Greg asked too quickly. Amanda saw something in his mind. For most of the last seven years, she had restrained her ability around family members, but this particular thought was so powerful that Amanda couldn’t avoid it.
“You’ve seen him,” she said.
“I’ve seen someone, and Lisa has seen the same person several times as well. It’s probably just Internal Affairs making sure that my retirement is not too comfortable.”
“You don’t believe that and neither do I,” she answered. “I’ll know more as soon as I see you.”
“Amanda, don’t be a fool; if you come anywhere near here, the FBI will be all over you.”
“O ye of little faith, with a wave of my hand, they will all disappear.”
“Amanda this isn’t funny,” Greg rebuked her.
“What’s wrong with you, Greg?”
He waited a moment before answering her. “There is a priest in our parish. I’ve known him for a few years. He’s a good man; at least, I thought he was a good man.”
“Greg you’re babbling,” Amanda prodded him along.
“It seems he has abilities similar to yours and has managed to conceal them for I don’t know how long.” Greg waited for a reaction, but Amanda stayed quiet. “He said he saw you early this morning and that you were looking for someone to kill.”
“He’s wrong,” Amanda said rather unconvincingly.
“Honey, we can’t do this again. The last time . . .”
Amanda cut him off. “I gave you my word, and I’ve kept it,” she said sharply. ”I am coming home to find the man who is purposely spreading this infection. I will tell you now that I will do whatever is necessary to stop him; you can’t ask me to do anything less.”
“Even if you do it for the right reasons, it’s still murder.”
Amanda didn’t respond; she didn’t want to argue with Greg, especially over a cell phone. “I should go Greg, it’s starting to snow, and traffic is picking up. I’ll call you once I get in, and please don’t worry about me.”
“I will always worry about you, Amanda, please be careful.”
Over the next half hour, the snow worsened. Travel was being discouraged, but no one seemed to have listened. There had been three multi-car accidents within a twenty-mile stretch along I-25 before the road was closed. Amanda had been lucky; she had been able to follow three huge snowplows into Colorado Springs a little after nine. The Highway Patrol finally directed her off onto a downtown exit. The streets had been plowed and sanded so the going became a little easier. Her first order of business was to find a place to stay. For more than six years, she had successfully evaded the FBI by assuming the identities of others. She was surprised how easy it was. Even with the additional scrutiny over the last few years, Amanda could effortlessly become half a dozen different people. She
“I e-mailed Martin,” she said simply.
“That son of a bitch from the CDC? Why would you do that? He’s the last person in the world you should be talking to.”
Amanda smiled. She loved Greg’s paternal tone. She knew that he would protect her, even with his dying breath, from anybody or anything that could harm her, and that included herself. “I had to give it a try. He’s the one person best positioned to help. Besides, he’s going to find out very soon and come after me anyway.”
“Then there is no point in you coming here. Just turn around and disappear.” Greg pleaded.
“I can’t,” she said.
“I’m sorry for calling you; I never meant for you to get involved.”
Amanda could hear the anguish in her father-in-law’s voice. “Greg, I already knew something was going on, you just helped to bring it into focus. Someone is spreading a virus, and that same someone is looking for me. I would rather meet him on my own terms.”
“Why haven’t you told me about this before?” Greg asked too quickly. Amanda saw something in his mind. For most of the last seven years, she had restrained her ability around family members, but this particular thought was so powerful that Amanda couldn’t avoid it.
“You’ve seen him,” she said.
“I’ve seen someone, and Lisa has seen the same person several times as well. It’s probably just Internal Affairs making sure that my retirement is not too comfortable.”
“You don’t believe that and neither do I,” she answered. “I’ll know more as soon as I see you.”
“Amanda, don’t be a fool; if you come anywhere near here, the FBI will be all over you.”
“O ye of little faith, with a wave of my hand, they will all disappear.”
“Amanda this isn’t funny,” Greg rebuked her.
“What’s wrong with you, Greg?”
He waited a moment before answering her. “There is a priest in our parish. I’ve known him for a few years. He’s a good man; at least, I thought he was a good man.”
“Greg you’re babbling,” Amanda prodded him along.
“It seems he has abilities similar to yours and has managed to conceal them for I don’t know how long.” Greg waited for a reaction, but Amanda stayed quiet. “He said he saw you early this morning and that you were looking for someone to kill.”
“He’s wrong,” Amanda said rather unconvincingly.
“Honey, we can’t do this again. The last time . . .”
Amanda cut him off. “I gave you my word, and I’ve kept it,” she said sharply. ”I am coming home to find the man who is purposely spreading this infection. I will tell you now that I will do whatever is necessary to stop him; you can’t ask me to do anything less.”
“Even if you do it for the right reasons, it’s still murder.”
Amanda didn’t respond; she didn’t want to argue with Greg, especially over a cell phone. “I should go Greg, it’s starting to snow, and traffic is picking up. I’ll call you once I get in, and please don’t worry about me.”
“I will always worry about you, Amanda, please be careful.”
Over the next half hour, the snow worsened. Travel was being discouraged, but no one seemed to have listened. There had been three multi-car accidents within a twenty-mile stretch along I-25 before the road was closed. Amanda had been lucky; she had been able to follow three huge snowplows into Colorado Springs a little after nine. The Highway Patrol finally directed her off onto a downtown exit. The streets had been plowed and sanded so the going became a little easier. Her first order of business was to find a place to stay. For more than six years, she had successfully evaded the FBI by assuming the identities of others. She was surprised how easy it was. Even with the additional scrutiny over the last few years, Amanda could effortlessly become half a dozen different people. She
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